Ever the curious sort, I’ve just finished downloading and installing Windows XP Service Pack 3. I’d hoped to find some dramatic new features – or in fact any noticeable changes – however based on what I’ve seen so far this isn’t going to prove the case.
First off, there seems to be a fair amount of confusion as to whether SP3 has been formally released yet, and near as I can tell it hasn’t.
As covered in ZDNet (“UPDATED – XP SP3 available for download from Microsoft“) the release …

According to today’s SMH (“Microsoft wants to worm its way into your PC“, 15 Feb. 2008), Microsoft is currently investigating ways to take even greater control away from PC users with the introduction of so-called “friendly” worms that distribute software patches “surreptitiously”:
“Like the malicious worms that spread from computer to computer by self-replicating and automatically seeking out new computers to infect, the friendly worms will be used to distribute updates to users without forcing them to download anything from a central server.”
This is yet another reason why I don’t trust …

Via TechCrunch, if the rumours coming in are true it would seem that Microsoft is not content to focus on its $50 Billion quest for Yahoo! alone. Reports suggest that they’re now looking to purchase life streaming application Ustream.tv as well:
“Ustream.tv is said to be in advanced talks with Microsoft to be acquired for $50 million, according to a report from Valleywag. Given it’s very early morning as the post goes live we are unable to put calls in to confirm the deal, but might have more later.”
The reports …

It would seem that there are two political prize fights unfolding before us – one between Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton, who are vying for the Democratic nomination in the United States, and perhaps an even heavier battle in the IT gladiator pit between Google and Microsoft, over Microsoft’s pursuit of Yahoo!.
In both the stakes are high, the arguments are polished to perfection, and it’s exceptionally difficult to discern the true nature of the candidate from the facade that’s being presented.
Personally speaking, unlike the Democratic primaries where my candidate of …

Everybody loves a good rumour – especially IT people. The current one circulating the tech realm is of the enigmatic follow-up to Windows Vista – being referred to as “Windows 7″.
Several sites have posted articles hypothesising what might or might not be in the OS, what users would like, and when the release date will be. The commonality seems to be the theory that the release will come in the second half of 2009, rather than 2010 as had been previously understood; and the fact that Microsoft seems …